Developer proposing new housing tract for Nicolas Valley land

Tustin-based Hillcrest Homes, which secured the entitlements for the Morgan Hill neighborhood in the early 2000s, is working on a new project in Temecula’s Nicolas Valley.

The project, which has been dubbed Seraphina, is located at the northeast corner of Nicolas and Joseph roads, near the under-construction Nicolas Ridge development.

Hillcrest is proposing 49 single-family homes, two parks and two detention basins on the 30-acre Seraphina site. The average lot size would be 7,884 square feet, according to the city’s notice of intent to adopt a mitigated negative declaration for the project.

The public comment period associated with the notice opened on Jan. 11 and runs through Feb. 10.

Hillcrest sold the Morgan Hill property in 2002 to McMillin Communities. It likely will sell the Seraphina site to a builder once the city signs off on plans for the tract.